Now's a Good Time to Network

Richard Davies

ABC News•7 December 2012

Morning Business Memo:

As the end of the year approaches, many people think about their prospects for the future, and possibly switching jobs. With office parties and Christmas gatherings for friends and families, job experts say this is a good time to network. "I can't emphasize enough the importance of networking and staying connected with people," says Jane Trnka, executive director of the Career Development Center at the Rollins College MBA program in Winter Park, Fla. "It's not just at an office but when you go to social gatherings, you go to games, if you go to different organizational meetings, those are all great opportunities to meet with people to connect." Job seekers, she says, "need to feel comfortable and confident about talking about themselves, their skills, their talents and what they bring to the table for an employer." When approaching someone, keep any job pitch brief. "If you talk more than 30 or 40 seconds you might get that glazed look over the other person's eyes, so you want to make sure that you keep them engaged," Trnka told ABC News Radio.

Superstorm Sandy led to temporary layoffs last month and reduced job creation. The next big threat to employment could come from the "fiscal cliff." Mark Zandi of Moody's Analytics told a meeting of senators and House members that avoiding the fiscal cliff is critical to keeping the economy growing. "It hasn't affected hiring and layoff decisions yet, but it will," he said.

Round 2 of the Apple vs. Samsung patent trial is underway. A federal judge appears ready to reduce the $1 billion jury verdict won by Apple. Judge Lucy Koh told lawyers for both companies that jurors appeared to miscalculate the damages. The copyright infringement case is expected to be appealed.

A big gap in T-Mobile's product line is likely to be plugged next year. It's expected to offer the iPhone 5. The carrier's parent company, Deutsche Telekom, said it has reached a new deal with Apple. T-Mobile USA had been the lone iPhone-less carrier among the four national wireless companies.

The Greek depression deepens. The national statistics agency in Athens says the Greek economy shrank by 6.9 percent during the third quarter compared with the previous year. Greece has been hit by a vicious financial crisis after decades of overspending and poor fiscal management. Dependent on international bailout funds since May 2010, Greece is heading into the sixth year of a deep recession.